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May 22, 2012

Vicki Batman & the Guilty Girls Book Club

I love-love-love to read. With a book, I can go anywhere and have a best friend. It's the most excellent gift ever.

For a long time, I'd share books I'd read with girlfriends. They did the same with me. When one recommended Janet Evanovich and Diana Gabaldon, I rediscovered romance!

But I wanted more.

Ten years ago, I asked a couple of good friends if they would be interested in starting a book club. They eagerly agreed. Each of us invited one other person to join, in total, six of us. We had no idea what our future would bring. But we had hope and heart and our love of reading.

We have a wonderful bond. It's rare anyone misses a meeting. We've lived through cancer, growing children and grandchildren, school, politics, weddings, happiness and unhappiness. We conduct notices through emails, find books online to recommend, and pick from two stacks--classics and new. Sometimes, we cook dinner; sometimes, we eat out. Sometimes, we go on a field trip. Most times, we begin our meeting with a mimosa.

As of April 2012, we've read 94!! books.

I've read books I normally would never have discovered or touched. We began our journey with The Red Tent. Some we laughed ourselves silly over (Janet Evanovich), despaired (The Glass Castle), disliked (The Corrections , The Emperor of Ocean Park, The Golden Compass), thought very odd (The Weird World of Wes Beattie), didn't live up to its reputation (The Woman in White), an odd soap opera (Brideshead Revisited), most confusing (Atonement), not what we thought (Lady Chatterly's Lover), a good classic (Red Sky in the Morning), and awarded five stars (Out of the Dust & To Kill a Mockingbird). At Christmas, we gifted each other a favorite to sample.

Thank you, Nancy, Sharon, Pam, Della, and Rebecca. Here's to ten more years of love, laughter, friendship, and reading!

To celebrate, I have a gift for you--gather two friends and start a club. You won't regret it.

Vicki is sitting back with her diet Coke, Chris Botti playing in the background, and sobbing over this post. Find her at: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com Or at: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com

31 comments:

Vicki,What a wonderful idea. Not only do you get to experience great books but wonderful friendships. Years ago, this was the way my critique group was, but sadly over time it has diminished. I'm thinking of branching out and starting a new one. A fresh new group filled with support, who is dedicated to helping each other write the best book possible.

Ah, now you have me teary too. That is a great story. I hav a cousin I share books with and I know she shares them with a friend. Maybe we should start a book club. It does sound like fun.Thanks for sharing your story, Vicki.

Beautiful my dear friend. I started a friendship about a year ago and I have cherished it since and can see it extending for many years to come. I sooo know it sounds mushy but this is what you do to people. That gift is you and I am so grateful in the richness I've found. Vicki, you are one special person. Love ya!

Sounds like an amazing group. Fantastic friendships. I get that from my critique group these days.

As an only child, I read a lot when I was younger. Books were my escape and fueled other ideas for stories I made up. These days between the day job, family responsibilities, and scrambling to find writing time, I seldom read. However at the moment, I'm re-reading Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way. It's my second time through her 12 week program, but it really is a fantastic book to remind us that our creative time is important.

I was in a book club through a library. You have an instant bond with others because of a shared experience--reading the same book. They are a great way to stretch yourself in some many ways! Totally agree with making this a great gift to yourself!

No, Vicki, thank YOU for such an awesome idea!! We don't always agree (Corrections and Emperor of Ocean Park!!) but my life is richer for all the new friends, ideas and... books! I wouldn't trade one minute. Here's to mimosa's, guilt and pleasures....

What a fantastic idea, Vicki. I love that you don't constrain yourself to a specific genre, too. I think it's wonderful that you've found and cemented great friendships in such a wonderful, creative way.

What a lovely idea and a great way to share your love of reading and make close friends.I've started three book clubs in my lifetime but my last one was over 10 years ago. This makes me want to do it again.Thank you.Patti

What a marvelous story, Vicki. I'm so impressed with the range of your books. But I don't think I'd do well in a book group—all I want to read is romance. And history for research. But mostly romance. :)

Hi, Jennifer. No specific genres. We read lots of things. Over the years we've found sci-fi isn't our thing. LOL. But we tried. Thanks for stopping.

Ms. Essex! How lovely. I'd read romance all day long if I could. HOWEVER, reading other types of books has expanded me as a person. I read with a pad and take notes, specifically for punchy words to increase my writing vocabulary. Mystery and romance, however, are my go-tos. OX

Honestly, I can make more time for audible books. I've become so busy in my life that for me to sit and read-it is hard. I keep feeling like I should be doing something that needs to get done. So, audible allows me to get chores and errands done AND I get totally immersed in the book.

Books are binding aren't they??? Thanks for the quickie review of your past reads. 5 stars for To Kill a Mockingbird for sure. Sobbing about this post because it is so wonderful AND listening to Chris Botti....nothing better. You are blessed.

Isn't it lovely to have friends you can talk books with. My life is just blessed abundantly when I can talk to other people about the great stories I've read. Wish I had time for an official reading group, maybe someday. Like Elizabeth Essex, though, I'm a romance girl. The genre doesn't matter so much as the romance and happily ever after ending.

Thanks for reminding us about our true friendship through books, Vicki.

Hi, J Q Rose and thanks for following me to the PP. Isn't to Kill a Mockingbird the best? Here's a tissue for your tears and thanks for visiting with me.

Hi, Kathy: after reading mysteries and romance for years and years (won't go there. LOL), I was a little apprehensive about trying other books. But I did and realized I would have missed something. I have finished all but one in ten years, too.

Hi, Sheila: Do I like snow? Mostly to look at. LOL. We don't get much down here and when we do, it is a major event. AND if you lived nearby, you'd be in like Flynn. Thanks, girlfriend.

Hi, Chris: HEA's-sigh. Yep, some books don't have them; yet, we read and possibly learn from them. For example, To Kill a Mockingbird--not a romance. And the children are terrorized in the end, and it is resolved in an unusual way. Miss this one? Not a chance. It's got a powerful message.

Great post, Vicki. Congratulations on the six of you making your group work for so long--that is hard to do and takes a lot of good will.

I liked the category summary of each book--it let me match my opinions against yours. (Loved The Corrections & The Golden Compass; have somehow made it to my middle yrs never having read Mockingbird ... and I made a note of the others I hadn't read yet, either.)

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Good News:

Liz Lipperman:Her Clueless Cook novella is coming out in December in an anthology with two other cozy authors, Sparkle Abbey and Kari Lee Townsend. Her third Dead Sister Talking Mystery will be coming in May 2015. And in more news, Liz has sold the audio rights to two Dead Sister Talking Mysteries and two others as yet untitled in the series. production has already started. Mega congrats, Liz!

Liese's work-in-progress,A BOTANICAL BLUNDERwon first place in the Southwest Writers' International Contest in the mystery division and finaled in the historical category in the Ozark Romance Writers' Weta Nichols contest.

Also from Liese: She has made available her three former Free Reads from Musa Publishing available through NoiseTrade. You can downloadTEMPORARY TEMPTAATION, TO THE RESCUEandSWEET REVENGEhere.